For many years, children as well as adults, have amused themselves by propelling ring or disc shaped projectiles through the air. The spinning motion of the projectile causes it to travel with a "floating" motion. The projectiles have been generally circular or disc shaped rocks, wood chips and bottle caps. One of the limitations in the amusement afforded by such activities is that without a gun of some kind, the projectile can only be propelled as far as the individual can throw it. This indicates that the amusement afforded the participant is limited by the participant's strength. So it is desirable to provide a pistol type device that propels such projectiles with a reasonable degree of accuracy and predictable motion.
Several devices have been developed in the prior art to propel circular or ring-like projectiles. One such device is useful only with coins that are propelled from a pistol. The coin is loaded in a slot in the top of the firing chamber between a pair of springs that in the cocked position are held in tension. In a normal manner, a trigger releases an impeller that is violently thrust toward the exit of the firing chamber driving the coin in front of it. The major deficiency in this device is primarily its limitation for use with coins only, which are flat and dense and comparable to slugs.
Devices have been made to propel bottle caps. Bottle caps are generally a disposable product and no great expense is involved in their use. Also, they are less compact and of larger dimensions than coins and are not as easily lost. Furthermore, they "float" more and are more interesting to watch. One device in the prior art utilizes a generally rectangular barrel. The cap is inserted into the barrel and the user violently swings it to propel the bottle cap through the air. It takes a substantial force to cause the bottle cap to travel up the barrel and emerge therefrom. The most obvious deficiency of this device is that the magnitude of propulsion force that can be applied to the bottle cap is limited, and it is difficult to predict where the bottle cap will go once it has been launched. Also, many children would probably not be able to cause the bottle cap to emerge with any appreciable force from the barrel.
Another device designed to launch bottle caps utilizes an open firing chamber and an elastic sling-shot. The bottle cap is pushed against the firing chamber and held in place by the user. An elastic band is stretched over the bottle cap and the pistol is aimed in the direction desired. When it is desired to launch the bottle cap, the user lifts his finger from the bottle cap and the elastic band slings the bottle cap out of the pistol and toward the target. The primary deficiency in this device is that it is essentially an elastic sling-slot. The elastic bands are generally rubber bands and subject to over-stretch and breaking. They often break prior to the bottle cap being launched and can snap back and injure the user. Furthermore, loading this device is a rather cumbersome procedure requiring the both of the user's hands and constant attention. Also, the user can inadvertently lift his finger permitting the bottle cap to be launched at undesired times. This can create a rather dangerous situation since the cap may be propelled in an unwanted direction and injure another person.
There has therefore been a need for a device that propels a bottle cap or other ring-like projectile imparting a spinning motion to the same, and that is durable, compact, easy to load, easy to use, and that prevents unintentional launching of the projectile.